


Remember Me, Even When You've Drowned (and decayed)

by itscoolbabe



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, BAMF Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Blunt Keith (Voltron), Bottom Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Electrokineses, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fire Powers, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gay Shiro (Voltron), Half-Galra Keith (Voltron), Human Experimentation, I Tried, I really did, Japanese Shiro (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) has piercings, Keith Has Fire Powers (Voltron), Korean Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Lance (Voltron) Speaks Spanish, Lance Has Water Powers (Voltron), Lance gets experimented on, Lance gets kidnapped, Langst, M/M, Mind Control, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Recovery, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Sort Of, Super Stength, Technokineses, Top Keith (Voltron), also. lets all agree that lance is not dumb and could totally kick ass, evil garrison, hes also a little awkward but he's trying y'all. he really is, i fucking will, i love lance, if i have to fill that up myself, why isnt that a tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:55:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26553958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itscoolbabe/pseuds/itscoolbabe
Summary: "You, Lance, need to remember. That you carry the ocean in your heart."It was what his grandmother had told him before she passed away, her voice soft as she stared off into the ocean, dark, dark blue eyes looking mystified."I don't think so, water is hard to take charge of."That was what he answered with, his grandmother had laughed before she turned to look at him"Do not be silly. You can not control water. You become water. You are not fighting to be in charge. You welcome your gift with open arms."Lance didn’t say anything, just stared off at the waves. That's not what his siblings told him and they knew a lot but—they weren’t his grandmother. And as he watched the waves move and sway he started swaying with them, slowing his breathing and closed his eyes.Become the water.Years later, long after his grandmother had passed away. Lance really wishes he had been born without a gift—but not really.
Relationships: Allura & Coran (Voltron), Allura & Keith (Voltron), Allura & Lance (Voltron), Allura & Shiro (Voltron), Coran & Lance (Voltron), Hunk & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron), Keith & Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 127





	1. Water, Ice, watericewATterICe

**Author's Note:**

> no beta, we die like lotor
> 
> translations at the end.

There was a better way of doing this, Hunk was sure of it and if Pidge wasn't as mad as she was and he so desperate he felt like ripping his hair out (already has, says the stinging of his scalp) then maybe they would've tried it a different way. But it's been half a year, 6 months, since Lance McClain, their best friend went missing. " _Taken by the enemy_ ," they had said. **Bullshit**.

When Pidge had looked through the footage, she found corruption going back hours before Lance disappeared. It was weird and fishy and all types of wrong but the Garrison had already broken the news to Lance's family and if they were wrong, gave them hope for nothing? They couldn't do that. So they left. 6 months ago they abandoned everything to find Lance (and to save themselves).

"Open up Shirogane! Open the fuck up or so help me god we'll get in by force!" Pidge's voice was angry and desperate and her fist was pounding so hard on the metal door that it was turning raw. "Hunk," she was looking at the camera in the corner, eyes angry and wet with tears. "Open this dog shit of a door."

See, really, if things were different, Hunk would've stopped, asked if this was really okay but he _wasn't_ having it at all. So he digs his hands into the doors and they open before he has to force them open himself, behind the door stands two men, one angry and smoking (literally, out of the top of his head) and the other way too calm.

"Kaite," the calm one sighs, Shiro, "what are you doing here? Your dad has been worried about you... your brother too," he looks unsure as he walks forward. Maybe feeling a little threatened with two angry people knocking at his door.

"We need your help," Pidge is tense, fists shaking, "Shiro I need you to help us." Her voice shakes a little and the other man's scowl deepens a little.

"I can't" Another sigh from Shiro and Hunk feels hope slowly leave his body, "I can't help you do another pointless experiment just for your fun, sorry Katie, but you should go back home," his smile is sad, "you too," he's facing Hunk and it would've probably worked to soothe him but honestly, he's just mad.

"I'm not twelve anymore!" Pidge screams and there are tears falling down from her eyes, Hunk's eyes start to sting too. Both men looked shocked to see her cry, "so stop treating me like a fucking child!" The camera's and the phones the two men carried sparked and garbled.

Shiro turns to look at Pidge head-on, face scolding like that of an older brother unlike the mock one that Lance used on her so much, the one that would break off into a laugh so bright and full and beautiful. Hunk's chest was starting to hurt and for the nth time, he was breaking his promise to himself, not to make himself remember, hurt.

"No, you're sixteen." His voice was final, the man behind Shiro stood up straighter, "so you shouldn't be throwing tantrums over things that don't really matter."

Rage floods both of their systems, actual tears fall from Hunk's eyes but Pidge vibrates with anger, eyes furious as she stands straighter, "how do you know?" It's the quietest Pidge has been the whole time, Shiro opens his mouth to answer but Pidge stops him, "how the **fuck** do you know it **doesn't matter** when you don't even fucking **bother** to listen!" She's heaving from how loud she's yelling. Behind the men a woman starts walking towards them, skin dark and regal and Hunk feels tense. "You **never** fucking listen! Always thinking you're **above** petty shit! Well, I guess you don't give a shit about someone my age getting tortured and used against their will!"

Everyone tenses, the woman just a few feet away from them, Shiro with wide eyes, and the other one who—is that Keith Kogane? Yeah, it was, he looks like he had cold water splashed on him. The woman walks faster towards them, pushing Keith and Shiro out of the way.

"Who?" Her eyes are hard and angry, not at them but at the people who had Lance, "Do you know where?"

Pidge sighs in content, relieved that someone was finally listening to her, believed in her. When she didn't answer the woman turns to look at Hunk who answers, "Lance McClain," Keith makes a face, "he was taken half a year ago by... the Garrison." Shiro seems to jolt back to life.

"Impossible." It's all he says as Pidge glares at him, taking off her backpack and putting it on the floor, taking her laptop out.

"Not here," the woman says, stopping Pidge by holding a hand out, not touching Pidge, "let's go inside, where it's safer." She had an accent, it made her even more upper class than she already felt.  
  
  


"Can you stop staring?" Pidge and Hunk were sitting on a couch inside a nice apartment, Pidge with her laptop on her lap and glare fixed on Keith, "didn't anyone teach you manners, Kogane?" The staring from the man turned into a glare.

"Come on Pidge, just focus on getting the... you know... videos up and running," Hunk was mumbling as he gently nudged her, not feeling for another shouting match.

They had been waiting for 20 minutes, Shiro and the woman—who they found out was Allura, princess of Altea. Which had shocked them for about 2 minutes because they had more pressing matters, like getting Lance back, in one piece, and very much alive. At that moment walks in Allura, from where they can guess was the kitchen and behind her a very defeated Shiro, looking way too tired at 11 in the morning.

"Alright then," the princess picks up a remote from the coffee table and turns on the very large TV in front of the sofa set, on the wall, "I'm sure you can do the rest," she's smiling at Pidge, soft and not quite reaching her eyes, the young girl doesn't wait being told twice before connecting her laptop and TV with her power, taking in a deep breath as she waits for everyone to settle down so she could start the video.

_The screen is a little fuzzy, but not all that much, just enough to make it obvious that it was from a security camera, the audio was enhanced by Pidge so that they could actually hear what was going on._

_Lance was walking alongside Iverson, still in his Garrison uniform, as he passed by the camera they could tell he was nervous, stopping midway through the frame of the video, his back to them. "Sir, I really should be heading back, it's past bedtime." He's pointing his thumb back, voice a little shaky as Iverson stops a few steps in front of him, slowly turning around._

_"McClain," he starts off slowly, "you're with me, there shouldn't be a problem since I am the one requesting your presence." Lance's back looks nervous, he's tilted so that his back is to the camera at an angle._

_"But—" his head snaps forward to where loud footsteps are suddenly coming from, panic flooding his face as steps away, fast as Iversion makes a swipe at him. As Lance runs away from something they can't see the video cuts to different cameras at different angles, in one of them they can see the people chasing him, in all black and dangerous looking._

Hunk and Pidge feel their guts twist.

_Lance is fast as he sprints, turning this way and that way, sweat building up in at the crown of his hair, in the camera, they are watching on, is right in front of Lance. They all see as one of the men, soldiers, reach for Lance's head and stop him by his hair. A strangled yelp leaves Lance's mouth as he's pulled back. He thrashes and manages to get free._

_"_ _ ¡No me toques perro maldito! _ _" Words snarled in Spanish_ _, the soldier reaches for Lance again but is met by a strong kick to the face that seems to make the soldier stumble, and the boy grunts, making a run for it._

_Another man reaches for Lance,_

everyone is at the edge of their seats.

_This time Lance must be aware of it because he grips at thin air, except its not thin air but a curved knife made of water, and when he turns, still moving, to face the man that's chasing him Lance slices at his throat, almost scary quick, it's no longer water but ice and it cuts the man's throat. So deep that the head hangs back, blood splattering all over Lance, he almost cut a man's head off. After the man falls there's another one, and Lance wastes no time throwing the knife, and the **sounds**. Oh god, the sounds. The squish and gush of the throat being cut and bleeding, the thunk of a knife being shot into someone's head._

_He's running again, breathing hard and covered in blood and looking desperate to getaway. But luck wasn't on Lance's side, it wasn't from the very beginning. There are more soldiers than Lance has the strength to fight, three of them grab at him, and two get a hold of him, he struggles and grunts and thrashes, but it's no good._

_"_ _ ¡Dejen me!  _ _Motherfuckers! Let me go! Let me go!_ _ ¡Ñooo! _ _" One of the men turns on their power and it makes Lance tense up and his eyes go wide and he flops like every ounce of energy left him. Head hanging low as they manhandle him but Lance is still conscious, he lifts his head and looks directly into the camera. Video going fuzzy and it's a little grainy but they can clearly see his mouth move._

"Get out. Please." Shiro parrots what Lance says, voice weak and almost hallow.

Pidge and Hunk are quietly crying, they've seen the clip so many times but it was still heartbreaking, seeing their friend like that, scared and running for his life.

"That's not all," Hunk says through sniffles, Allura, who was sitting stiff as a statue turns to look at the male, "he also left this." He reaches to his back pocket, pulling out a paper that seems like it was about to fall apart from how many time's it's been folded and opened.

Unfolding it, Hunk places it on the coffee table, eyes tracking the movement of Allura reaching her hand and gently takes it.

"Hey guys," the words sound odd on the woman's tongue, "if you're reading this then that means the fuckers actually did it. I bet they said some bullshit like—he was kidnapped by the Galara—and then added something to get pity like—and we tried our hardest to save him—it's all bullshit!" Allura pauses a bit, "I don't know much but I do know that they tried to take Kogane. Good thing he left before the shits got to him." After another pause, everyone turns to look at Keith who freezes, "I wish I could tell you that I'm okay but I know that I'm not." Another pause and her voice wavers. "I'll say this again, and I feel like shit but please, guys. Get out. Don't tell anyone. Not your family and not mine. Leave and stay away. Forget about me. Because if you find me. I won't be the same."

Slowly Allura sets the paper down, taking deep breathes before her eyes harden. "We're getting your friend out of there." She's tense as if readying herself for a fight. "And in order to do that, we need you to tell us everything that you know."

Pidge nods, taking a deep breath, "at first we were confused. Lance mentioned that they wanted to take Keith," she points at him, "but we didn't know why. So we started looking at it as if they were both serial killer victims." Allura tilts her head. "Most serial killers have a type they stick to, blonde woman, or married men. Whatever—a type."

"So you wanted to find if Keith and Lance had anything in common to warrant them as targets?" Allura is resting her chin on her fingers as she stares off into space.

"Yes!" Pidge sits up straighter, "but we couldn't find anything... so then we looked into disappearances that happened to students of the Garrison and..." she trails off.

"And we found... a lot," Hunk picks up, this time Shiro turns to look at them. "All of the missing students—while they didn't go missing in the same place—did have similar circumstances." He scoots forward, "they were all relatively strong students, orphaned or no living family, lone wolves. People you would notice went missing but—"

"Didn't think too much about the why..." Keith finishes and that was the first time he spoke, sounding sad and a little lost.

"But that's where it breaks off, the pattern." Pidge pushes her closed laptop into her stomach.

"How?" Shiro asks, now paying very close attention.

"They were targeting Keith, fire manipulation at high talent, almost critical, no registered family. But he disappears himself. Okay," Pidge waves her hands like she's presenting something, "but why switch to someone who has a very invested family and more connections with high power people than Shiro has medals?!"

Allura scowls, eyes flickering to look at the two teenagers, "Lance has connections with powerful people?"

Pidge nods, "his sister is a high commanding officer in the Garrison, one of his uncles is head chief of security of the whole city-state of Balmera. His father serves as navy captain for the Puigians." She makes a motion of trailing off, "Lance is a well brought up dude. And more importantly, someone who knows a lot of people who **will** notice he went missing."

"So we figured it must've been something else," Hunk takes the note from the coffee table, "Keith left the Garrison a year ago," said man sits straighter, face hard, "six months before Lance disappeared, so..."

"...so he must've seen or heard something. He knew about _it_." Something like horror dawned on Shiro's face.

Pidge nodded, "they took Lance because they couldn't risk their fucking secret getting out. A two birds one stone type of deal."

"Two birds one stone?" Keith was looking at Pidge, "how strong was McClain?"

Hunk huffed softly, "Lance was always telling us that our powers were physical too, that if we worked out our bodies then we could also strengthen our power." The teen looks off to the side, eyes sad and full of sorrow, "he was the most flexible person I knew. Once I saw him kick the teeth out of someone."

"His power level was high talent, just teetering into critical." Pidge chimes in, sounding proud, "water manipulation is one of the hardest power elements to control. But he's had people help him and train him." She turns her head to look at Keith. "Two birds, one stone." Her gaze is cold as she holds up two fingers.  
  
  


"Subject 390_A3 responses to the commands have been great. Minor ones like 'sit down' and 'run'—while they are the easiest—also lead to much greater results." The man who was talking, while Lance couldn't see him, he's heard that voice before. "In a matter of months, we can get him to answer to assassination commands." If Lance had any control over his body he for sure knew that he would tense up. But not even his eyes twitch.

There was a grunt, "can you speed the process up?" A pause from the different man and this voice, Lance had definitely heard that one. Right before he was taken. "Even by a week or two?" Another pause, longer this time.

"Well... let's go see, shall we." The two men walk away, their steps clicking and sounding dull from where Lance was—floating? Ah, yes. The thick liquid he was kept in since he had been taken.

Since he was taken, how long has it been? Weeks—no—longer, maybe months. Or even years. It didn't really matter, not now, not when he was kept in a pod as if he wasn't a person but a test subject. _Subject 390_A3_. Or, as they called him whenever they took him out of the pod. 390A. He had a name, and they _know_ it, Lance knows because they talk about his sister and sometimes one of his uncles so he knows that they know his name. Yet they never bother with it, does it make them feel guilty when they call to him? Does addressing him by code make them feel at peace when they look at him through the glass? Detach from the fact that he's not even a full adult. A student.

_Off-track. You're getting off track Lance._

That's right. He was talking about how in the time he spent here, he's learned to play dead. No rapid heartbeat, no sudden movement. Being awake meant being poked and prodded and tested on. Lance knows they've done a lot of things already, kept him in a hot-box for 18 hours (he counted), and then changed him into a deep, deep dark pool of water and chained him to the bottom. Just when he was about to drown they—they injected him with... something and it _hurt_.

_Se las van a ver. Tu sabes, Lance, l_ _a_ _s vamos a ser doler, chico._

Okay. But we need to get out, tenemos que salir.

But it also made him strong. Stronger than before.

"You really don't have to wait to give him larger commands," it was a woman talking, (when did people get here?) the same woman who had overlooked all of Lance's tests when he was awake. Her voice was loud and Lance had a feeling she had a big laugh, she always sounded excited. It made Lance gag. "Look, 390A," Lance twitched, "wake up." Lance opened his eyes and focused them on the three people in front of him, Iverson squinted. "Let it out."

She was talking to someone else, purple lipstick stretched over a large smile over large teeth, they fit well in her mouth, glasses glinting from the bright light of Lance's pod. Slowly the thick liquid was being drained, lowering Lance so that he was on the ground, the glass popped open with a hiss when all the liquid was drained.

There stood Lance, completely dry with a suit that acted as a second set of skin, it stopped right under his lip and under his ears. There were no sleeves so his shoulders were left bare, at his feet the souls and his toes were left open. Lance felt naked but he couldn't cover himself, eyes trained on the woman, her hair long and greying, laugh lines around her mouth.

"390A," Lance stood up straighter, "when it first arrived here, it was able to turn approximately 22 liters of water into ice within a split second, now. After half a year," has it really been that long? "he can turn literal oceans into ice and then back to water, can take the water in blood plasma and _control_ people," she bites her lip and trembled a little. "My dear Sirs, we've created our very own monster." She's turned around but Lance can hear the sick smile in her words, wants to beat it out of her. "390A, we've received notice of intruders in the west wing." Her voice is calm as she speaks, "go take care of them." It drops when she gives her command and when Lance walks past her and sees the look in her eyes, Lance wishes she had given him the command to close his eyes.

The moment he left the lab his body started running, this would've been the perfect moment to make an escape but with how he couldn't control his body. It was no use.

People moved out of his way, eyes looking like they had seen a ghost as they clutch their chests. The PA clicks on. " _To our dear intruders, I would like you to meet our newest asset. 390A_." Lance isn't breathless when he stops running, but all the air in his lungs is stolen when he rounds the corner and finds his friends.

They stare wide-eyed at him, blinking rapidly and so full of hope. No! Shit! _¡Que coño!_ They weren't supposed to go looking for him, they were supposed to leave him, forget him and try to live a life somewhere else! HE TOLD THEM NOT TO!

Behind them stands Takashi, Allura, and Keith. He recognizes them from the few times that he had been conscious, their stats had been pulled up as they worked on him, pulling at nerves in his hand. They look at him, eyes calculating as they assess him, good, someone needs to be on guard.

"Lance, buddy, come on. We need to leave," Hunks voice is soft and broken, he's begging and it breaks Lance's heart into a million pieces because he can't _speak_.

" _390A_ ," the woman's voice breaks over the PA, " _speak and state your name._ " She sounds so joyful.

"I'm subject 390_A3," fuck, is that his voice? He sounds cold, dead even. No tone to his voice as he stares right at his friends in the front.

" _Good, good,_ " she's writing something down, " _now, state your mission_." The PA clicks away and there's a pause in which Lance's body shifts into a fighting stance, he tried to wiggle and just _move_ his body but it doesn't work. So he's made so stare at perfectly innocent people, who he knows might die. 

"I am here to eliminate the threat," two vents open to spill out water that just rushes towards Lance, swirling around him like two separated sashes that have been brought to life, swirling and twirling like snakes with their one will, they turn to ice in his presence. What the fuck? It's his god damn gift, his and only his, so who gave the ratty bitch permission to use him as such? 

" _Advance_ ," the woman's voice is cold and sharp, Lance sees the look of fear on everyone's face as he rushes towards them, Takashi is quick to pull Hunk and Pidge back, behind the people who knew and were willing to fight. 

Lance goes for Keith, who happened to be in front of him first. His fists are engulfed with flames as well as his feet, his suit is red and black, looking like it was made of the same thing Lance's was but it had sleeves, and Keith's boots looked heavy. He's afraid, yes, he knows how to fight but there was a 76% chance that Keith was better so when Lance blocks the punch to his face, his other hand stops the kick the now angry man gives him, he's shocked. And in a surprising turn of events, Keith jumps off his free leg and lifts himself up to wrap his leg around Lance's neck—or so it would've gone if Lance's ice serpents hadn't wrapped around his neck and squeezed. Becoming still and making Keith pull away and melt the ice but Lance's gift was stronger. 

There was no time before Allura was rushing at him, Lance's head snaps to her and the serpent wrapped around Keith's neck lets go when the man drops to the ground, unconscious, and makes itself home where Allura's crystal club smashes into him. It should've flown him away, Lance wasn't wearing any type of shoes but all that happens is he gets pushed a little. Allura looks shocked so she doesn't see the swings of Lance's arm, and by the time she does, she's faltering and getting kicked to the ground. On all fours, her club is at arm's length but a heavy kick lands on her back, she stops breathing and falls to the ground. Struggling. 

Everything feels nasty. He feels horrible as his eyes sweep over the unconscious people and land on Takashi, standing in front of his friends who look at him like he were a stranger, as they should. But it still hurts. 

"Lance, you need to stop." Takashi has his hands up, cautious, "you don't have enough water and I don't want to hurt you." Lance wants to laugh, and he does. That wasn't a command. The silence that follows is thick in the air. Both serpents were hovering around him, melting into water. He hadn't had a command in a while. He wants to take a deep breath and he _does_.

He's staring at Takashi, who's staring at him, and when he hears Allura groan in the back and the PA click on Lance panics. Water breaking every PA within hearing distance, water slicing through the machines. 

"I am... sorry. _Perdón, lo siento, perdónan me_..." he's falling to the ground, taking deep breathes because he can—were his breaths being controlled too? Maybe. It doesn't matter because they weren't anymore. Takashi walked by him, still cautious, and when he gets past him without having his leg sliced away he rushes to help Allura up, once he's certain she won't fall over he goes to wake up Keith. 

Lance hasn't looked up yet, too focused on the fact that he almost killed people. It was in his head. Take them down. Immobilize. **Kill**. So when he feels arms being wrapped around him and his water serpents turn into ice shards pointed at the people, Lance starts crying because it's just his friends hugging him. 

"We need to leave... people are coming..." Allura's words are cutting off and that would mean that the woman was getting close. In a panic the ice move to point at Lance's back and with a scream from Pidge, Lance stabs himself. Everything is cold in a way that strangely enough feels like home. Before it's gone,

There's nothing now, and for the first time in a long 6 months, Lance is happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay. listen. i wrote notes for this. i NEVER do that but i really had to for this. my love for lance is eternal and i hate it when people look down on him so i made him a badass and messed him up a little bUt hes cool so,,, yeah. 
> 
> IMPORTANT: some things that need to be said. i am a spanish speaker, actually its my first language. so that being said, the spanish that lance shouldve canonically have spoken isnt the same one that i speak. i was born in the U.S.A but was raised in Mexico for like 3 years but all i know is cali. if u didn't know, there r a lot of different ways that spanish is spoken, whether it means accents or like whole fucking words. im Hispanic, lance is latino, yes there is a little bit of a difference. i tried my best when it came to lance's spanish, looked up cuban grammar and the likes but there wasn't much i could find. and if any of you have any tips or info it would be very welcome. and to help, u guys should probably look up Cuban people speaking to help u out, their pronunciation of words is something that i can't write in :)
> 
> im bilingual, so none of the cringey shit here, aight? aight.
> 
> TRANSLATIONS:  
>  _"¡No me toques perro maldito!"_ — "Don't touch me (fucking, damned, cursed, to name a few for 'maldito') bitch!"
> 
>  _"¡Dejen me!"_ — "Leave me!"
> 
>  _"¡Ñooo!"_ — "Damn!" (this is a Cuban curse, the letter 'Ñ' is pronounced EH-nyay?
> 
>  _"Se las van a ver. Tu sabes, Lance, las vamos a ser doler, chico."_ — "They're going to see. You know, Lance, we're going to make them hurt, kid." 
> 
> _"tenemos que salir"_ — "we need to get out."
> 
>  _"¡Que coño!"_ — "What the (fuck, shit, crap, hell)"
> 
>  _"Perdón, lo siento, perdónan me"_ — "Sorry, I'm sorry, forgive me." 
> 
> SOME TIPS: As far as I know, the 'V' and 'B' in Spanish are pronounced the same, 'beh'. When saying the alphabet you would say 'oo-beh' for 'V'
> 
> anyways. im not one for teaching a language. i hope u guys liked the chapter, stick around for more! 
> 
> besitos babes!
> 
> p.s—sleep enough to get through the day (at least!) eat enough food and drink water, stay healthy cuties (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)


	2. The Hungry Lion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no beta, we die like allura
> 
> translations at the end

Keith would like to think that there were better ways of spending his days, like fighting crime or saving people from burning buildings but—buildings aren't always burning (thank god, really) and their justice system isn't complete shit and is actually pretty useful. It's not like what he just did was for nothing, he saved someone, the same person who choked him out and who he is currently carrying. Lance fucking McClain. 

His days at the Garrison were blurry at best, only remembering the fighting techniques they would sometimes go over. Then, other times, the image of a blue-eyed boy with dark skin looking at him worried would cross his mind, it was mostly annoying but he was there. Lance McClain, his level was 8, high talent. Not bad for a person with water manipulation, his older sister, Veronica McClain a high ranked analyst was known for her trickery when it came to combat, that's something that Keith had hoped he would experience when fighting her younger brother, but he had a feeling he would be disappointed.

The first time Keith had fought Lance, he wasn't expecting much, seeing as he was always goofing off, even though his family was well known, Lance didn't seem to give off any of that energy. Not until Lance was coming at him with daggers made of ice and a cold look in his eyes. He got played like a cheap kazoo, melting the daggers was of no use, because it turned into water, Lance was by far the more flexible of the two, and when he got him, it hurt. In the end, Keith won with raw strength. 

That fight was nothing like the one they had 30 minutes ago, Lance was way stronger, stronger than maybe even Shiro and even though Keith was out for half the fight, Allura is still being carried by Shiro. 

"Can you hurry up? Lance isn't exactly the lightest," Keith was muttering behind Pidge who was still sniffling as she opened the front gate, she turned to glare at him before walking inside. It wasn't exactly true, after leaving the Garrison and... finding out some truths about himself, Keith's whole biology changed, he grew taller, stronger, and faster. He was just complaining to complain. Bitching would be the word.

Hunk walked up to Keith, offering the mullet sporting man a wobbly smiled riddled with anxiety. They were all still pretty shaken from almost dying that they didn't notice the gray cat slipping in along with them, Keith too busy with not tripping over something because his luck was the shittiest ever.

"Um... I don't mean to break the beautifully somber mood but... when did we get a cat?" It was Allura who noticed the feline, she sounded a little loopy and definitely not in her right mind, so when Keith turned to look at where she was pointing he was _not_ expecting the gray furred, blue-eyed cat looking at them while sitting on the couch like it owned the damned place.

"Oh shit... it's a cat," its eyes were trained on Keith or better yet, Lance who was blissfully still knocked out, "and it looks like... it wants Lance?." Keith was being the quietest he's ever been in a while.

Apparently being deadweight doesn't mean coma sleep being Lance beings to stir, mumbling something that sounds a lot like 'Blue', everyone just looks at the cat who meows at the not nearly as unconscious Lance, Keith thought he was.

"Keef?" The half Galara man startled so hard he almost dropped Lance who whined high and reedy, "can you _porfavor_ not do that? _Me hace doler la chola_ ," Lance was messaging his temples, getting awfully comfortable in Keith's arms. And even though Keith caught about half of what Lance was saying, he understood and shifted Lance to lay more comfortably in his arms. 

"It's 'Keith' with a 't-h' sound," Lance just glared up at him from where Keith had set his head on his shoulder, eyes bleary and tired, "but whatever, that your cat?" The Cuban boy turns to look where Keith nodded his head, "woah! Shit—dude! Can you calm down?" Keith struggles a little as Lance reaches out for the cat, wobbling a little before Hunk comes over to steady them. 

"Blue! Keith—put me down!" Lance turns to look at the half Korean man, blue eyes much more awake and bright, a small pout playing on his lips. And like an afterthought, he adds, "please?"

Sighing Keith puts the tan man down, watching as he wobbles and then sighing again as he goes to help Lance walk over to the couch, earning a mumbled thanks, one he answers with a grunt and then sits next to him. Watching as the brunet clicks his tongue and does kissy noises, raising his eyebrows when the cat walks right on to his lap and purrs, wrapping its tail around Lance. 

"Lance, since when did you have a cat? And...how did it get here?" Pidge walked up the sofa, her eyes trained on the cat making its home on Lance's lap. "You named them Blue?" 

The cat looked up at Pidge, having heard its name called they stared up at the girl but when nothing happened, turning back to giving all of its attention to Lance. "Yes, it's the only name she liked. _¿Verda? Mi bonita catica_ ," the cat purred, rubbing her face into Lance's neck and then it locked eyes with Keith who was just looking at him with knowing eyes. 

"Okay, so how did she get here?" Keith's head snapped over to where Shiro had spoken, now noticing that both Allura and Hunk were missing, when did they leave and when did Shiro change? Their leader was out of his black and white suit and was in a white t-shirt and black sweats. "I don't think cats can just get across the world by themselves." 

Lance snorted, "no they can't. But my Blue can, isn't that right? ¿ _Verda_?" He picked the cat up and brought her face up to his, cuddling it as the cat meowed and started to lick Lance's cheek, "Blue has been our family guardian for a very long time." Setting the cat back down on his lap, petting her grey fur gently. 

"Guardian? Like Mushu?" Keith was looking at Lance like he had grown a second head. But when Lance turned to look at him, eyes bored at first but then turning reluctant he felt another large sigh building up in his chest.

"Sort of... um... yes. Like Mushu." Lance's cheeks heated up in embarrassment as he looked away, focusing back on the cat in his lap. Shiro had moved to sit on the other side of Lance, more distance between them than Keith and Lance. "But... unlike in _Mulan_ my family isn't in danger and Blue's just here. Sometimes she's a cat and other times she's a charm on a necklace—her true form is a lion! Though... I've only seen it once. When the right was passed down from my grandma to me." Lance's smile turned sad for a fraction of a second before it went back to being happy and sweet. 

"So why you?" When people turned to look at Shiro, he flushed, "I... it's just that you have a lot of older siblings and... I've fought your sister, Veronica, and well..." he trailed off, scratching under his ear as he looked away, flush still high on his cheeks.

"It's okay, I get it. I have a lot of older siblings and usually, it's the eldest that gets things passed down to them, but that's not how it works for us." Lance let the cat go, bringing his shoeless feet up on the couch and resting his chin on his knees. "In our family, it's the strongest water manipulator that gets the guardian by their side, and because only my mother is a water manipulator, not all of us have that gift. Veronica and Marco are the other ones with it. But mine...before...my talent was pretty high...even though it took a while to get used to." 

"Get used to? Get used to what? Your power?" Keith scooted forward, what the hell was Lance talking about? Your power is something that you have to get a hold of, get under control through physical, mental, and in some cases, emotional training. "You're born with it, you were made for it. You should just grab a hold of it." 

Shaking his head Lance turned to look at Keith, "water. It's different. It's not like fire or electricity. There is a way that water moves, there are currents, or maybe it's still. Maybe it's like ocean waves or as a gentle stream. There are so many shapes you can be as water." Pausing to lick his lips Lance also took a deep breath, "it took me until a week before I started the Garrison to be able to use my gift properly."

Pidge lets out an audible gasp, her hand coming up to her mouth in shock, "but... the way you used to fight. It was like you had been doing it forever." There is disbelief in her hazel eyes. Lance shrugs and Keith feels oddly cheated, how and what the fuck?

"I mean, technically I had been? I just never used my manipulation, all the moves I used weren't _specifically_ designed for water type fighting, they were just moves I learned and I changed the shape of my water to match the moves." With a shrug, Lance stopped talking. 

It was something Keith had never heard about, people were usually born with powers or 'gifts' as some people still called them. People weren't able to use them until they turned 6 at the latest and 3 at the youngest. But they weren't born exceptionally strong. Starting at the lowest, 1 and then from there is, whether steadily or not it all depended on the person. Thinking about it made his head hurt in ways that he didn't like at all so he sighs and with one last look at Lance, Keith is headed to his room, craving a bath and a hold load of sleep, and by god was he going to get them.

* * *

Mistakes were made. A lot of them and over the course of his life but that didn't matter—at least not right in the moment. Because, true to his word, Keith did get lots and lots of sleep. So much that he missed lunch and dinner and now that he was awake he was fucking starving, the fact that he was half Galara didn't help. Did the species really have to be so fucking hefty in their appetite? Shit, Keith could probably eat a horse, like seriously. 

Naturally, getting out of bed Keith made his way to the kitchen, nighttime lights on all over the place because Allura was fancy, even though Keith didn't need them, night vision and all. It was 1 in the morning, place quiet and still, he was used to seeing Shiro in the kitchen, hair wet and quietly sipping some coffee and on rare occasions, Allura. 

What he wasn't expecting was seeing Shiro pouring Lance some coffee, both of them looking freshly showered, the kitchen lights on, and something cooking that made Keith forget to ask what was going on. 

"You better have made enough 'cause I'm gonna eat all of it whether you like it or not." Keith felt his gums itch at the smell of the steaming pork in the pot which was on the stove. Recognizing the sneeze type of feeling that soy sauce gave to his nose and how could he _not_ smell the ginger. Lance looked up from where he was separating the lettuce leaves, plates of kimchi, and pickled radish next to him. 

"Do you usually eat this late?" Lance's eyes are red-rimmed and there is a tremble to his voice and although Keith wasn't the most graceful of creatures when it came to social situations he knew when not to bring things up, at least. So instead he shrugged and goes to the fridge and pulls out a can of Sikhye. The image of the ice going throw his body flashes through Keith'd head and it's an odd image because there's no blood to accompany the picture when that was what made the most sense.

"Only when I sleep really early in the day, usually I eat with everyone else," he shrugs while he speaks, walking over to the other side of Lance who is sitting at the counter, pulling out the stool as quietly as he could, "though they don't seem to enjoy it when I do." Keith takes a sip of his drink and glares at Shiro, whose back was turned at them as he dished the food. 

"It's because you eat like a slob," Shiro turns around with a sweet smile and Lance snorts into his shoulder, "or a dog." Keith is too offended to drool over the Jokbal presented in front of him. 

"I do not!" Lance is snickering, while Keith just takes the metal chopsticks Shiro offers him and huffs. Taking a leaf from the plate Lance was stacking them on and pilling up the pork meat, kimchi, and pickled radish before shoving it into his mouth. 

"Wow..." Lance look in awe at Keith, "he really does eat like a dog," the half Korean young man just chews his food and tries to fight down the blush creeping up his neck, when he licks his lips. Keith was not excepting the soft 'oh' from Lance and looks up at him from where he was preparing another wrap. "Or like a lion, from you know those um...," he snapping his fingers and looking at Shiro whose shoulders are shaking, "those old National Geographic videos!" Shiro snorts into his cup and Keith just huffs. Stuffing his mouth and not caring because he was hungry, dammit!

Soon it's just the sounds of Keith chewing and occasionally sipping his drink, it doesn't take long for him to notice Lance's eyes on his food, swallowing what he has in his mouth Keith points his chopsticks at the tan boy. "Want to try some?

Lance looks up at Keith with wide eyes, seeming like a little kid getting caught stealing cookies, he just nods and watches as Keith makes him a wrap, way less meat, and kimchi on it than the ones he had been making for himself. He didn't put any pickled radish in it, it's not for everyone, and hands it over to Lance who takes it.

Shiro was busy making himself some ramen over on the stove and Keith was already making his next wrap for himself, no one paying Lance any attention as he took a bite of the wrap made for him. The meat was full of flavor distinct to Korea or maybe it was the kimchi, that didn't matter because Keith knew it was good and when he looked over at the Cuban boy it was obvious. 

"Want to try some," Keith held out his drink, licking his lips again as Lance just looked at the drink he was offering, a furrow in his eyebrows. "Or not. 'm not forcing you if you don' wan' some." In the last moment's effort, Lance took the can and drank from it, leaving Keith with an empty hand. 

"Wow..." Lance sets the can down, licking his lips, "that was really good—the meat, the drink—what is it?" Holding up the can like he could read and find out, Lance gives up when he sees that it's all in Korean. 

Taking the can back Keith takes a swing before putting it down, "it's called Sikhye, a Korean rice dessert drink. Back in Texas, I used to drink a lot of this and horchata. They're probably my favorite drinks, even though they taste nothing alike." When he sees Lance open his mouth Keith cuts him off, "if you put milk in horchata, you deserve death my hanging." 

"Okay. Awesome because if you said anything else I would've lynched you," Keith snorts and goes back to eating, also making another wrap for Lance, this time with pickled radish at his request. "You're from Texas?"

Swallowing Keith nods, standing up to get more Sikhye, this time he gets three, one for him, another for Lance, and one for Shiro who's slurping down noodles like a vacuum cleaner, a garbled thanks comes from the Japanese man's stuffed mouth. "Yeah, when I was 10 a really nice Korean couple adopted me. I knew a little bit of Korean, mostly things my dad taught me but they're the reason I know so much about my culture." Sitting down Keith hands Lance his can, popping his open the moment his ass his the chair. "What about you? Where are you from?" 

"Varadero, Cuba." He takes a sip of his drink and then makes hands like asking for the body of Christ during Sunday mass, so Keith makes him another wrap, "three older siblings, one niece, and one nephew. More uncles and aunts that I can count. I grew up on a beach so I can swim like no one's business." He pauses to eat his wrap, Keith waits for him to finish, taking sips from his drink, "before I could use my gift. Sometimes there would be moments where it would come out and—I almost drowned my sister Rachel." Keith snorts his drink up a little, "I was 11 and very scared, it's not funny! I thought I killed her!" And despite his whining, Lance still chuckled. 

"Once I burned my pants off in front of my 7th-grade class. The teacher had to use the fire extinguisher and they called a fire drill." Lance was in the middle of drinking, he snorted so hard it came out of his nose a little. "I wasn't allowed on the field when it was really hot." Lance was full-on laughing, head thrown back as he wiped at his mouth. Lance snorted when he laughed, when he took in air, they were quiet and short, cute if you will. 

"Keith! You were a literal walking fire hazard!" Keith just shakes his head softly as he watches the Cuban boy lose it, when he feels a gaze on him he turns to look at Shiro who's nursing his drink, a look in his eyes that makes Keith raise his eyebrow. When all Shiro does is shake his head Keith shrugs, looking back at Lance who's calming down until he looks at Keith and breaks down giggling, whipping at his eyes. 

Deciding that they were done eating, they start cleaning up, Lance had taken the time to calm down and because none of them were feeling sleepy they went to brush their teeth and came back to watch TV. Shiro sitting on the love seat as Lane and Keith made themselves comfortable on the couch. Their drinks on the coffee table and _How To Train Your Dragon_ playing on the large TV, volume low. It was 3 in the morning and they fell into comfortable silence watching the movie.

Even though they had said that they wouldn't be sleeping, Allura found them asleep when she came out for breakfast much later. Giggling at how Lance had snuggled up onto Keith's chest, whose head was thrown back over the couch's edge, a hand around Lance. Shiro had curled up on the love seat.

And if Pidge takes a picture, no one would know. Not unless they did what she wanted when she wanted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU CAN NOT LOOK ME IN THE EYE AND TELL ME THAT KEITH'S NEVER HAD FUCKING HORCHATA. THE MOTHERFUCKER'S FROM TEXAS. also. because of that, he knows a little bit of Spanish but some of the words dont really make sense because most of the people he grew up around were Mexican. also. a perfect example of different spanish. 'chola' means head in cuban spanish but in Mexican Spanish, 'chola' is the female version of 'cholo' which is what you would call a Mexican gangster. 
> 
> ANYWAYS. have cute klance and supporting shiro. this was done sooner than expected. do not get used to it. i dont update so soon, normally. hope u guys enjoyed it.
> 
> besitos babes!
> 
> TRANSLATIONS:  
>  _"porfavor"_ — "please"
> 
>  _"Me hace doler la chola"_ — "It makes my head hurt" ('chola' is a cuban word for head"
> 
>  _"¿Verda? Mi bonita catica"_ — "Right? My pretty kitty"
> 
> FURTHER EXPLANATION:  
> in Spanish, 'verdad' or 'verda' how i chose to spell it and how i actually say it is a form of informal spanish. if u translate it, it means 'true' or 'the truth' depending on the context. also depending on the context it could mean 'right' like in "is that right?".
> 
> Jokbal is a korean steamed pork dish, seasoned with a combination of soy sauce, ginger, and black taffy. 
> 
> Sikhye is a rice-based korean drink. unlike horchata which is usually sweet and soothing, sikhye is refreshing. 
> 
> p.s—sleep enough to get through the day (at least!) eat enough food and drink water, stay healthy cuties (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)


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